Tyson Fury’s dad reveals son ‘wasn’t ready’ for Deontay Wilder fight after stressful build-up

Fury’s father has revealed how the world heavyweight champion suffered

(EPA)

John Fury has revealed how his son overcame a nightmarish build-up to the third fight with Deontay Wilder.

Tyson Fury could barely run three miles just four weeks before last Saturday.

And the WBC world heavyweight champion’s preparation was hit unexpectedly after recovering from Covid-19, which initially postponed the bout back in July.

In addition to picking up the virus, Fury then attended Alder Hey Children’s Hospital to be by his new-born daughter’s side.

Athena was sent to intensive care immediately after birth and had to be revived by hospital workers.

And Fury spent every day by her side, an ordeal that took an incredible toll according to his father, who urged him to start exercising again in order to “feel better”.

The 56-year-old, who weighs 20 stone, outrun his son, whose “lungs were on fire”, prompting him to remark: “that nearly killed me”.

“He was going to do it anyway, so what I said was: ‘OK then, I’ll try to make the best of a bad job. I’ll fill him full of confidence’,” Fury’s father told Sky Sports.

“But deep down inside I was worried because I thought ‘you know what, he shouldn’t be doing this’.

“There’s a power to be in boxing, Tyson wanting to stand up for his country knowing Anthony Joshua just lost his belts at home, two miles from where he lives.

“He thought: ‘You know what, I can’t be like this man, I’ve got to do my own thing, stand for my country. Win, lose or draw it’s on!’”

Meanwhile new footage has emerged to show Wilder telling Fury that he still doesn’t respect him moments after being knocked out by the Briton.

Fury was rebuffed in a new clip released by Top Rank, with Wilder telling him that he had “no love” for him.

But Fury persisted with his intent to settle the feud, adding: “Never mind love, there’s respect.

“You got beat fair and square tonight. That’s it. I respect you because I’m a man.”

Bu a bloodied Wilder repied: “I won’t respect you, I won’t respect you. I will never respect you.”

An irritated Fury then fired back: “Don’t show bad sport, you lost fair and square,” before turning his attention to Wilder’s manager, Shelly Finkel.

“Listen, I never cheated in my whole life. I played fair and square,” Fury told Finkel.

“He’s got a bad hatred towards me, I don’t know why. But let me tell you, he lost like a man tonight. He put me down three (two) times, I had to put him down four (three).”